Hospices Gems from the 2024 Hospices de Beaune Burgundy Wine Auction
We had very high hopes this year going into our favorite weekend – the Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction, held on the third Sunday each November. It is now a tradition for us, since we bought our first barrel in 2013. We buy two (or more!) barrels every year at the world’s most historic wine auction.
We’ve got great form when it comes to picking these much sought after ‘hiddengems’ of Burgundy wine excellence. You can see some of the wines we’ve bought in the past on our dedicated wine shop, here at BurgundyWine.com plus our own tasting notes for each cuvee purchased. And that’s not all – you can buy one of your own bottles of a Hospices Wine here. Among them you’ll find the amazing 1er Cru 'Guigone de Salins' 2022 – named after the wife of the Hospices de Beaune founder Nicolas Rolin, who ultimately took charge of the hospital and spent most of her fortune helping the needy of Beaune. We believe this wine is so good we bought a barrel of it again this year.
So we think we’ve earned the right to say we are now ‘insiders’ at the Hospices, and our contacts can get us into the top professional tastings with winemakers, oenologists and even Masters of Wine. Come auction day, we know what wines we want and have had great success with our purchases every year. Our clients get great wines but actually get so much more than that – the experience of being part of something rare and priceless – the thrill of taking part in a true Burgundian tradition, of participating in one of the great events in the whole wine world.
So… this year we again put together a group of partners who would be part of the purchase of a barrel. We knew that 2024 promised to be a real 'Burgundian' vintage – in other words, great structure, and good ripeness, with lots of 'hangtime' for the grapes to mature slowly. But we also knew very well that the quantities we saw at the harvest this year looked on the small side. So we hoped to snag a real gem of high quality, fairly scarce and at a reasonable price.
How did we get on?
Elden Selection's Hidden Gem from the 2024 Hospices de Beaune Burgundy Wine Auction
We’re thrilled to report that we landed two of the most emblematic of the Hospices wines:
- Volnay 1er Cru Cuvee Blondeau 2024, and the
- Beaune 1er Cru Cuvee Guigone de Salins 2024
The Volnays were the star of this year's Hospices de Beaune wines. And the Cuvee Blondeau stands out as a star because of the quality of the Premier Cru parcels that are assembled here: Taillepieds, Champans, Roncerets and Mitans. They combine to give the quintessence of appellation Volnay. A class act.
Guigone de Salins is an integral part of the fabric and history of the Hospices de Beaune, and her cuvee has traditionally been made up of the heart of the Beaune premier cru: Bressandes, Champimonts and Les Seurey.
We tasted through all of the Hospices wines two times this year, and both the Blondeau and the Guigone stood out for their bright fruit, balance and volume.
Why the Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction is So Beloved
So why is this place so special, and how did it all begin? Well today, the Hospices de Beaune estate covers 60 hectares, or just over 120 parcels, including 50 hectares of Pinot Noir and 10 of Chardonnay. As a sign of the quality of its terroirs, 85% of the estate's vineyards are classified as Premier or Grand Cru. It is an exceptional winegrowing heritage, proud representative of the Climats de Bourgogne, classified as an intangible heritage of humanity in 2015 by UNESCO.
Logically, due to its historic location in the heart of the capital of Burgundy wines, a majority of the parcels are located in Côte de Beaune. The Beaune appellation itself is dominant, with around 20 ha. Domaine des Hospices's holdings then extend into the surrounding villages, on the hillside of Corton, Pommard, Volnay or Meursault in particular.
However, Domaine des Hospices de Beaune is also present on the other Côtes. To the very north, a small parcel of Chablis 1er Cru highlights this terroir with its singular minerality. Then there's a sublime collection of Grands Crus in Côte de Nuits (Mazis-Chambertin, Echezeaux and Clos de La Roche), the source of three exceptional cuvées, as well as a very attractive parcel in Montrachet Grand Cru, which frequently sets auction records. Finally, in the far south of Bourgogne, the Domaine owns vines in Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru.
The Domaine des Hospices de Beaune is thus a reflection of Bourgogne: both multiple and unique in the diversity of its terroirs. Its wines offer buyers an incredible diversity of aromatic expressions, flavors and occasions for sharing. All Domaine des Hospices de Beaune wines are sold at their exceptional auction, renowned the world over, every third Sunday in November since 1859 by the barrel and only by the barrel.
But there’s another aspect to the Hospices which is just as crucial, and is very current in today’s sustainability focussed world. For a very long time, the Domaine des Hospices has cultivated a policy of respect for the environment. Logical when you belong to a hospital, where care and attention to others are among the cardinal values. It has thus been run for many years with a policy of zero chemical inputs. It was with the arrival of Ludivine Griveau in 2015, however, that things accelerated (and you can read our article on her and other notable winemakers here). With her team, she successfully led the estate towards a complete conversion to organic farming. The Hospices de Beaune estate has been officially certified since the 2024 harvest.
You Could Be Bidding Next Year!
Fancy raising a paddle at the next wine auction? Why not do it with us? If you like the sound of it then click here to book your hospices stay at Domaine de Cromey. To whet your appetite, here is a flavor of what our guests got up to this year (full itinerary found via the hyperlink):
- Tasting at Domaine Borgeot of our 2023 Hospices barrels.
- Cromey cellar tasting of our past Hospices purchases
- Professional tasting at Hospices Cuverie.
- Vineyard Tasting Grand Cru Corton Charlemagne on the Corton Mountain
- Sampling the Street Food and Festival in Beaune.
But if you can't come and stay with us for the Hospices you can still buy Hospices wine at the auction and be a part of the fun – click here to register your interest now in buying a barrel share.
To read more fascinating articles on the history of Burgundy wine head to our Burgundywine.com blog here. To discover the culinary adventures we have at Domaine de Cromey plus some amazing local trips, check out our Burgundy Vacation blog here. We also have a Burgundy Wine Club that we’d love you to join – find out more here. And finally – why not sign up to our monthly Burgundy wine newsletter here?